Professional Development and Technical Support Opportunities

The Idaho Commission on the Arts in partnership with Arts Northwest, USDA Rural Development, Idaho Commerce and Labor, and Idaho Rural Partnership, presents:

MERGE 2006: Idaho’s Regional Conferences on the Arts
Creative Community Development Series

Merge (mûrj) v. To combine or unite.  - The American Heritage Dictionary

Day-long regional conferences for artists and arts organizations will be held in five locations:

• Moscow – April 12
• Sandpoint – April 14
• Idaho Falls – May 2
• Hailey – May 4
• Boise - May 5

Becky Anderson's Creative Community Development Series
Workshops for Arts Organizations
Workshops for Artists
How to Register
Dates and Locations
Sponsors and Partners

Registration Form (Adobe Acrobat File)
 

- Creative Community Development Series -

Luncheon Keynote: The Place-Based Economy
Rebecca (Becky) Anderson, founder and Executive Director of HandMade in America, a renowned craft-based rural development organization operating in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, will tell how they have fostered entrepreneurship and encouraged partnerships between tourism, small business, education, economic development, and natural resources to create place-based economic solutions. A place-based economy is dependent upon place, cannot be outsourced or transferred from its source, and is used to create long-term economic initiatives through the use of a region's cultural traditions and natural capital. Learn how this approach has benefited the citizens of Western North Carolina through expanded markets, the harnessing of new economic opportunities, and the branding of a region.


Workshop: Creating your Place-Based Economy
The workshop, held just after lunch, will address the “how-to” of these strategies with a focus on how Idaho can tailor these ideas for the benefit of entrepreneurs, business owners, and communities including; how to foster entrepreneurial agricultural, cultural, and crafts-based cottage industries utilizing a unique approach to community asset, partnership, and cultural tourism development. Each workshop attendee will receive a copy of HandMade in America’s unique tourism guidebook.

In 2000, U.S. News and World Report named Becky Anderson as one of America’s top ten visionaries for her work in community and civic development. She has twenty-eight years experience in economic and community development work. As founder and Executive Director of HandMade in America (www.handmadeinamerica.org) she coordinates over 20 partnerships with local, regional and state organizations, and serves as a consultant for cultural tourism and economic development related to arts and crafts. In 2003, Worth Magazine ranked HandMade in America as one of the top 24 arts non-profits in the United States that give “The biggest bang for your buck” and represent “the best of our country’s culture.”

 

- WORKSHOPS FOR ARTS ORGANIZATIONS -
 

Understanding your City and County
The key to getting more arts support from your city and county is to get to know them! Learn how city and county governments operate: how they plan, how they fund community development projects, and how cultural organizations participate.

DELTA JAMES, Community Development Director for the Idaho Commission on the Arts, will facilitate a panel discussion with city and county representatives from your region.


The Art of Presenting
Where are the artists you want to present? How do you navigate through the many marketplace and conference possibilities available to you? How do you talk to an agent? Negotiate contracts and technical riders? What is block-booking? Whether you are organizing a community festival, a performing arts series, or just want an act for your exhibit opening, this workshop will help you find the artists so that your time will be spent wisely and gainfully.

SUSAN ENDRIZZI is the founding and managing director of California Artists Management, a professional booking, management and producing agency representing an internationally recognized roster of performing artists. CAM tours booked and managed in North America have involved performing artists from throughout the United States, Europe, and Africa, Russia, India and Japan. Susan will lead the workshops in Moscow and Sandpoint.

BILL STEPHAN is Director of the Nampa Civic Center, a 42,500 Sq. Foot Performing Arts / Convention Center Complex which hosts over 750 events annually and presents a vibrant performing arts series which enjoys frequent sell-outs and serves thousands of young people. Previously, Bill was the first full-time managing director for Idaho Dance Theatre where he successfully organized tours across the Northwest, broadened the company's audience base, and developed an arts education outreach program. Bill is also the immediate past President of Arts Northwest and is a graduate of Boise State University with a degree in Music/Business. Bill will lead the workshops in Idaho Falls, Hailey, and Boise.


Finding Culture in your Local Landscape
Folk arts are all around us, expressed and continued through local stories, work practices, families, and other groups. On Main Street or a frontage road, in family-owned restaurants, homes, farms, ranches, ethnic food stores, libraries, community centers, and schools – folk arts are everywhere. In this workshop you will learn how to find unique themes in the local landscape and occupational culture and how to use your findings to present folk artists and their work in exhibits in museums, galleries, visitor centers, and in local festivals.

MARIA CARMEN GAMBLIEL directs the Idaho Commission on the Arts Folk and Traditional Arts program that offers Traditional Arts Apprenticeships. She also coordinates community scholars training programs, curates exhibits, produces print and Web resources, provides technical assistance to presenters and folk artists, and designs and oversees surveys to identify, document, and encourage the continuation of community expressive cultures in Idaho. Ms. Gambliel received an M.A. and M.F.A. in art from the University of New Mexico, and is a printmaker and photographer.

 

WORKSHOPS FOR ARTISTS

Artrepreneurs & Idaho
Artists in all disciplines have a remarkable ability to create evocative expressions of the world around them. Their creations are valuable contributions to society; however, in the contemporary market, even the most distinguished art requires a blend of business skills and creativity. In this workshop we will talk about how you can participate in an artistic and cultural adventure, locate or create alternate spaces to exhibit your work, and the most effective way to open your studio. We will also discuss what the Idaho Commission on the Arts has to offer in terms of funding and support.

BARBARA ROBINSON, Director of the Artist Services Program at the Idaho Commission on the Arts, received her degree in art from Boise State University. An Idaho native, Barbara has had a life-long interest in the arts and since 1993 she has worked at the Commission to provide assistance and services to individual artists in all disciplines--visual, performing, and media arts. Barbara manages the individual artist Fellowship program, assists artists with professional development such as marketing and portfolio development, and works to provide visibility for artists. Her current projects include the creation of a booklet and DVD to be used by performing and media artists so they can create effective work samples and participation in the statewide Art in Public Places initiative.


So You Want to Work With Kids...
Stop by and hear the skinny from professional artists who work as teaching artists on the Idaho Commission on the Arts’ Arts Education Artist Roster. They will share their perspectives on working with young people in school and community settings. Learn how these talented artists maintain a balance between their professional artwork and their work inspiring Idaho’s young people. Think hot lunch, bus schedules, and creativity!


Successful Touring: Getting Your Act on Stage
How do you, as a performing artist, find presenters? Which conventions are right for you? How do you talk with presenters? Negotiate contracts and technical riders? Understand block-booking? How does venue size and ticket pricing affect your bottom line? This workshop will help you eliminate surprises before you get to the theatre.

SUSAN ENDRIZZI is the founding and managing director of California Artists Management, a professional booking, management and producing agency representing an internationally recognized roster of performing artists. CAM tours booked and managed in North America have involved performing artists from throughout the United States, Europe, and Africa, Russia, India and Japan. Susan will lead the workshops in Moscow and Sandpoint.

BILL STEPHAN is Director of the Nampa Civic Center, a 42,500 Sq. Foot Performing Arts / Convention Center Complex which hosts over 750 events annually and presents a vibrant performing arts series which enjoys frequent sell-outs and serves thousands of young people. Previously, Bill was the first full-time managing director for Idaho Dance Theatre where he successfully organized tours across the Northwest, broadened the company's audience base, and developed an arts education outreach program. Bill is also the immediate past President of Arts Northwest and is a graduate of Boise State University with a degree in Music/Business. Bill will lead the workshops in Idaho Falls, Hailey, and Boise.


How to Register
1. Download and print the REGISTRATION FORM (pdf)
2. Send the completed registration form with your registration fee to the local arts agency associated with the location you would like to attend (see below for fees and addresses).

Registration Fees
MERGE: Idaho’s Regional Conferences on the Arts (full day - includes workshops for artists or arts organizations and the Creative Community Development Series luncheon and workshop) - $25 per person

BYPASS: Creative Community Development Series (luncheon keynote and workshop only) - $15 per person.

DEADLINE:
Registration must be submitted at least one week prior to the date of the event at the location you would like to attend.


Dates and Locations

APRIL 12 – MOSCOW:
University Inn & Conference Center (1516 Pullman Road)
Send registration to: Moscow Arts Commission
PO Box 9203
Moscow, ID 83843

APRIL 14 – SANDPOINT:
Workshops: Community Hall (214 S. First Ave)
Keynote Luncheon: The Panida Theater (300 N. First Ave)
Send registration to: Pend Oreille Arts Council
PO Box 1694
Sandpoint, ID 83864

MAY 2 – IDAHO FALLS:
Workshops: Willard Arts Center (450 A Street)
Keynote Luncheon: Shilo Inn (780 Lindsay Blvd)
Send registration to: Idaho Falls Arts Council
498 A Street
Idaho Falls, ID 83402

MAY 4 – HAILEY:
The Blaine County Community Campus (1050 Fox Acres Rd)
Send registration to: Wood River Arts Alliance
PO Box 4030
Ketchum, ID 83340

MAY 5 – BOISE:
Workshops: Boise City Hall, Foothills Room (150 North Capitol Blvd.)
Keynote Luncheon: Grove Hotel, Ballroom (245 South Capitol Blvd.)
Send registration to: Boise City Arts Commission
PO Box 500
Boise, ID 83701-0500


BYPASS: Creative Community Development Series
You can attend just this luncheon keynote and/or workshop at any of the locations above and…

MAY 1 – TWIN FALLS:
Red Lion Canyon Springs Inn (1357 Blue Lakes Blvd. North)
Send registration to: Magic Valley Arts Council
PO Box 1158
Twin Falls, ID 83303

MAY 3 – POCATELLO:
Newberry Building (160 North Main Street)
Send registration to: Old Town Pocatello
PO Box 222
Pocatello, ID 83204

 

Sponsors and Partners
THANKS to these sponsors and partners for helping to present Merge2006:

• Arts Northwest
• National Endowment for the Arts
• USDA Rural Development
• Idaho Commerce & Labor
• Idaho Rural Partnership
• Moscow Arts Commission
• Pend Oreille Arts Council
• Magic Valley Arts Council
• Idaho Falls Arts Council
• Old Town Pocatello
• Wood River Arts Alliance
• Boise City Arts Commission